This invention relates to reciprocating conveyors of the slat-type for conveying particulate materials, and more particularly to a slat-type reciprocating conveyor which requires no seal between adjacent slats.
Slat-type reciprocating conveyors of the prior art for conveying particulate materials generally are characterized by the use of seals between adjacent slats to minimize the loss of particulates through the space between the slats. Sealless slat-type reciprocating conveyors provided heretofore are designed primarily to avoid the cost of seals and the installation and replacement thereof. Such prior art conveyors provide structure for the discharge of particulates that pass through the unsealed space between the slats. Representative of such conveyors is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,396 wherein it is disclosed that particulate material entering the unsealed space between adjacent slats is cleared away during the conveying process and/or routine maintenance. In either case the removed particulate material represents a loss of product.
In its basic concept, the sealless slat-type reciprocating conveyor of this invention is produced by configuring the cooperating overlapping side edges of adjacent conveyor slats to form an upwardly extending narrow channel section leading to a downwardly extending channel section terminating at the bottom of the slats.
It is the principal objective of this invention to provide a sealless slat-type reciprocating conveyor of the class described which inhibits passage of particulates through the space between adjacent spots.
Another objective of this invention is the provision of a sealless slat-type reciprocating conveyor of the class described in which the omission of a seal between adjacent slats is achieved by forming in one longitudinal edge of a slat an upwardly projecting inverted U-shaped section and in the confronting edge of an adjacent slat a longitudinal upwardly projecting flange section configured for free reception within the space formed by the U-shaped section.
Still another objective of this invention is the provision of a sealless slat-type reciprocating conveyor of the class described which avoids the costs associated with seals by minimizing the loss of particulate material from the conveyor.
A further objective of this invention is to provide a sealless slat-type reciprocating conveyor of the class described which is of simplified construction for economical manufacture, maintenance and repair.